Next for New York

HERD ABOUT IT?

I am heartened by the information in the referenced column below, but still cautious. The victory in NYS is for a fragment of the FRACking industry. We need to remain strong to achieve state wide bans on the storage, disposal and use (ex: road salting) of FRAC waste. Repurposing salt caverns for gas storage is still on the table, and we can still be criss-crossed with pipelines. The down spike in market prices has helped us in our battle. So read on and be reassured, then take a deep breath and get ready for the next phase.

What the Frack Happens Now in New York ?

In a word, nothing. We won. Relax. There will be no fracking “counter-attack” by the frackers. No big lawsuits. Not much of nothing happens now. Here’s why: It’s not worth it to them. Oh, and the threatened actions have no basis or grounds in federal or state law. There’s that little wrinkle as well.

The noises you are hearing from the frackers are the death throes of a massive PR machine that is now slowly grinding to a halt. Sure, they will still run the TV Gas Blonde ads, and they will keep some 4th rate stringer on in Albany, but for all intents and purpose, it’s over for them in New York. Get used to The New Unfracked Normal under Governor Cuomo. If you can.

Let’s take these preposterously bellicose threats in order of their comedic potential:

1. Congress is Going to Over-rule New York per Congressman Tom “Hollow” Reed on the Fred Dicker Fracking BS Show:

“GOP Rep. Tom Reed on Friday raised the possibility of the federal government exploring ways of superseding Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to prohibit hydrofracking in the Southern Tier.”

Reed is a Republican (surprise) and the Federal Government would be the Obama Administration (nominally Democratic) which., per the Halliburton Loophole has zero regulatory authority over fracking. Oil and gas oversight (like casinos) is left to the States to regulate, which is why state regulations vary all over the map. The precedent for banning fracking was set by Vermont, which did so two years ago. Reed evidently did not get that memo.

“Reed, who represents the area of the state where natural gas deposits are especially rich, told Fred Dicker on Talk-1300 this morning the federal government could have the authority to overrule the ban, which will be formally put in place by the state Department of Environmental Conservation next year. Reed compared the move to a federal telecommunications measure that overrode local zoning on the placement of satellite (transmission & relay )dishes.”

The Feds, under the Interstate Commerce Act, indeed regulate the airways, which includes satellite transmission and relay dishes (not the one on your house) they have zero regulatory oversight over state oil and gas regulations. A nuance that a Republican blowhard in Congress is conveniently unaware of. Particularly when he’s talking to the likes of Fred Dicker.

“So the federal government could have a role here,” Reed said. “Obviously when we talk about energy, we’re talking about our energy security and that has national implications.”

Obviously what Reed pretends to not know about state regulations of oil and gas is a lot. How shipping fracked gas to China makes America more “energy secure” is left unexplained.

“Reed, in the interview, said he wanted to see the scope of the state’s fracking prohibition. “I think it’s going to depend on how far the New York ban goes here,” Reed said.”

It’s going to prohibit HVHF wells, like it says in the dSGEIS, any well that uses over 300,000 gallons of water. Nothing more, nothing less. If you voted, for Reed, congratulations, you voted for a guy that’s as fracking dumb as a fence post.
READ the entire article by Chip Northrup in ‘No Fracking Way’ HERE: